God only knows - Brian Wilson & Paul McCartney

[123jsbach]

who let the 5yr old loose with the coconut shells? bloody awful!

[jolcom]

Makes me happy.

[wesleywatsonweir]

I actually read somewhere that Paul called this his all-time favorite song!! (side note: did you know that it's Paul doing the rhythmic carrot eating on the Beach Boys "Vegetables"?!)

[DanCiTi]

@wesleywatsonweir NO WAY! Paul is on Vega-Tables?!

[gonzataker]

Paul McCartney singing one of the best songs of The Beach boys... God only know how do it.

[SpeedBuggy92]

Wow



[rogerscottq]

I'd say that was a pretty good apology from Paul to Brian.

[Chicagokrzy]

How did that stage handle all that legend?

[toddmastria1]

both fantastic....you can not beat "I Get Around" so...in my own book it`s Brian FTW

[nbukuvalas]

Very Nice :)

[JOE11096]

Wilson had a lot more responsibility with producing practically doing everything for the beach boys, but Mccartney and Lennon are the best song writers

[casper1918]

Hearing this version makes me realize how great Carl Wilson was.

[ReservoirDog129]

Brian is the musical genius of the 2 (IMO)

[morninggloryseed]

I would have screamed like a girl in 64 at the Beatles, had I been at this concert and saw Brian and Paul sing God Only Knows.

[roesbud53]

@morninggloryseed ME TOO!

[baldbollocks]

Awful.......how to wreck a good song or two

[shetaz905]

@baldbollocks Agree. Can we sing any more out of tune?

[Blaze1289]

@shetaz905 Hey, they're both in their 60s when this was recorded. Cut them some slack.

[shetaz905]

@Blaze1289 You're right. At least they weren't lipsyncing.

[Javier23gol]

The Beach Boys+The Beatles=The Beat Boys!!!

[marilynswisher53]

WOW, WOW......!

[scarface12347]

Macca's got an amazing voice, he could sing any song and it would be good. Hell even a Justin Bieber song would sound good.

[PhantomPhonoProject]

They should have done this in the 60's - Brian and Paul together, and one decade after nobody would have cared about "Supergroups"^^

[neil73]

@PhantomPhonoProject But the supergroup concept started in the 1960's. It would be a great idea for Paul and Brian to get together in the 60s, but wouldn't that form a 'supergroup'? The supergroups of the 70's went to far - thats largely why punk and new wave became so popular.

[mojohelmet]

WOW!

[avdreader1]

I like this.Brian's voice wasn't real good for awhile. He sounds pretty good here. Paul always liked Pet Sounds anyway. Nice work.

[69MC97gc]

Paul wrote "Here,There and Everywhere" as a repay.

[69MC97gc]

Thgank you! I never knew less I did know about Paul and Brian.I should have kept my eyes and my ears open even then.

[liamcj23]

Paul may love being with Brian on stage and so do we. But in his and own hearts it will always be John and Paul. R.I.P John Lennon

[beatlestoneful]

Beautiful!!!A Beatle and a Beachboy...singing together at last!!

[RyanCalder]

check my page out for Beatles covers

[cornpopsandacid]

I read somewhere that this Paul's favorite song.

[saleasylum]

Oh God let's wreck the song.......

[uhohthatsadollar90]

whoa

[purpleskycalm]

Maybe we can get them to work together again

[Gidget521]

I just burst into tears. Two amazing performers; idols of mine.

[TanteA]

This is just great to listen to!

[billthestinker]

Wow!

[blica1]

2 Seriously Major Musical geniuses on the same stage..this only happens once every millenium !

[ilischito]

too bad there's no video, but thanx anyway man, great song!!!

[quaxk]

no video stream in this day and age?

[bigmamatofive]

Taylor,Mitchell ,Hodgson,Noon<Bart,Petty,Shape­r,Pitney,Mason,Curtis, Joel,Cohen,Prince,Mercury,Adam­s,Guthrie,Van Zant, King, Marley, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Cobain, Vedder, Ellington. Porter, Davies, Eminem, Hamilton, Williams, Clapton, Berlin, Cahn, Prine, Smith, Bush, Waters, Gimour, Sedaka,Diamond, Seeger.....OK my fingers are sore...There are so many more through all Decades and Genres....I know i am missing a plethora of great writers but it isn't all about Wilson, McCartney!? is it? lol

[bigmamatofive]

Young, Waits, Mitchell, Stevens,Stone, Haggard, Cockburn, Burnett, Sholtz,Bowie,Plant,Sting, Peart, Deyoung, Mellencamp, Carole King,Harrison,Berry,Lennon,Spr­ingsteen,Simon, Dylan

[bigmamatofive]

Brian + Paul = more musical genius? Ouch! that really only touches part of one Genre only and there were a lot more in that one. Depends on what type of music you listen to. But they are great. Forgetting Classical which is the "GENIUS" Let's do this (i've got time) Small sample of genius writers..Last names, no particular order. Bacharach, Kristofferson, Robinson, Townsend, Fogerty, Berry, Petty, John,Taupin,Robertson, Morrison, Nelson,Wonder, Jagger, Newman, Richards, Costello, Jackson Cont'd

[zoyelque2009]

@Ridders1690 ,Dude I love how Brian Wilson's voice sounds here,it sounds real and rock n roll.plus hes the real mad men here,it was him vs the Beatles,and i admired that.

[Dutchlionl]

wilson +5, SIR PAUL McCartney +1000! how can you guys say, wooow what would have happened if paul and Brian made music together!! awesome... I want Lennon - McCartney!

[eoras77]

@Dutchlionl Some People say, that the Beatles wanted to sound like The Beach Boys in Sgt. Pepper...., so that says all!!

[ser010267]

@eoras77 Well Pet Sounds and Smile were the Beach Boys attempt to be the Beatles.

[eoras77]

@ser010267 I said they wanted to SOUND like the Beach Boys!! And if you compare Pet Sounds with Sgt. Pepper, you will hear that the Beach Boys have a very, very good sound in recording!! ( and i mean the recording of the instruments, the voices/ harmonies etc...), and i understand you, the beach boys are not as succsessful as the beatles, but in my opinion the Beach Boys have a far better quality of music! But unfortunately most people don't care on such things :((

[BeachBoysJanDean1]

"Wouldn't it Be Nice" if Sir Paul made an appearance with the Beach Boys during their big 50 YEAR tour in 2012!

[briney1973]

this is great. if only they'd done something back in the early 70's when their voices and songwriting were still great. mccartney-wilson or wilson-mccartney? we will never know.

[beans1600]

paul n brian,nah,n never heard it

[Eyyoh77]

As if Mozart meets Beethoven.

[jaypeeinaz1]

@Bonelessausage...Bet my Brian can beat your Paul up! And if we really want to pay homage here..Lennon was right there with 'em...

[1olrocker]

They both sound great here, but Carl had one of the most beautiful voices in rock n roll history. He was so underrated and hardly in discussions for great vocalists in rock.

[donhawk]

If not an album they could at least do a 70th birthday concert together next June. Anyone?

[SleighJessi]

I am completely envious of everyone that got to witness this in person.

[emeryerz]

Awesome!

[jaypeeinaz1]

Wow..to have Paul McCartney on the same stage as Brian Wilson..Paul, a genius in himself..knows another when he sees it. Two powerhouses..awesome..

[LVEMEDO]

@jaypeeinaz1 Awesome comment I agree

[BonelessSausage]

@jaypeeinaz1 Paul, the only genius.

[pt8648]

The duo should have done "Sail on Sailor." They would have brought down the house....and me with it.

[RastaSaiyaman]

@pt8648 But Macca said that "God only knows" is the most beautiful song ever written. So it was the obvious choice for him to perform with Brian.

[TheBraybeatles]

@RastaSaiyaman. He did - he says Pet Sounds inspired Sgt Pepper and God Only Knows he rates as the most beautiful song. And Macca would know!

[niv06290]

Just wondering what might happen if you locked these two in a room for a week - with nothing but a piano and guitar ... whew!

[pmoyer50]

@niv06290 : The world would get the best music imaginable - that's what would happen.

[jshnicl]

@niv06290 brian would probably kill himself in all honesty.

[BluesPianoMan12]

An American and a Brit; two different perspectives, both EQUALS as writers, great to hear them performing together.......if Brian only would have followed up with a chorus of "Yesterday" following this song.

[mrfester42]

@BluesPianoMan12 I disagree. In my opinion Paul was a much better songwriter!

[mrfester42]

@niv06290 Paul would be dead from having a guitar smashed over his head. There would be a puddle of piss on the floor, Brian will have lost ten pounds, shit his pants 3 times and would be sitting at the piano mumbling something about wanting a cheeseburger.

[TheChriskoz14ify]

@mrfester42 LOL

[kielego]

@niv06290 they'd die cuz they won't have water. They'd eat the piano and the guitar... They'd go mental. kidding!

[MrRobin14669]

@niv06290 Probably a whole new collection of classic songs.

[sexypoetry]

@niv06290 ...it would prove my theory that homosexuality was invented in a small german town that used to send only women to war....i seek pole shift survival group...

[owenonion]

fucking brilliant, mcCartney said many times this was one of his favourites and to hear brian and paul sing it well thank you a thousand times

[69MC97gc]

I am xinging ....rhank you.

[BeachBoysJanDean1]

Brian + Paul = more musical genius than the rest of the world!

[goodchickenbroccoli]

@BeachBoysJanDean1 This is true

[yowzephyr]

@BeachBoysJanDean1 And I guess you know that they were born only two days apart.

[BeachBoysJanDean1]

@yowzephyr wow, no I did not know that. Must have been something in the air.

[JonBenait06]

that's SIR Paul to you.

[MichaelMcKimmey]

the best song ever written!!

[spinatune]

Boy I love this tune... So cool to see Paul singing this song. Seems to fit both like a glove. Wayne

[xtremerockomaniac]

Brian Wilson in terms of genius is the closest that Mccartney has to a John Lennon so before they both retire they must make an album together :DDDD i could guess it would be SIMPLY AWESOME

[morninggloryseed]

@xtremerockomaniac

Agreed!

[DizzyMissRomi]

i'm pretty sure god has this song on his ipod.

[edixavi]

This is like Mahoma and Jesus making a world wide religion! <3

[scrie100]

brian and paul cooool

[GoinVert]

Paul sounds great here, Brian sounds a little shaky

[Galantski]

Does anyone know if the Wondermints are the backing band here?

[bigwig7]

@Galantski sounds like Jeffrey Foskett with the high pitched backing vocals

[joenaccomusic]

Paul's struggling with this. Let's you know just how tough this song is and how incredible the beach boys were vocally because Paul is one heckuva a singer!!

[Ridders1690]

@joenaccomusic Pauls struggling?????? Hes heading it, Brian is at the worst i have ever heard him, and im a big big beach boys fan!!!! Paul is in his usual style of singing as all his previous work has shown, Brian has no emotion to it now -- its almost like a robotic voice. Paul is holding onto his voice, brians has left him..... its sad i know, but Brian needs to call it a day and let us remember what his good was, and not the bad he is now doing.

[brentrick03842]

Come on folks-What is there not to like? Two icons on stage! BTW- Carl sang this song originally. Brian wrote almost all the Beach boy's songs!!! At a very young age, AND did all the arranging, composing, wrote the melodies as well as harmonies. He rarely sang lead, but was awesome at harmony.

Brian went on his own, and he still "has it". Listen to "South America", then we'll talk! Paul, another great song-writer and voice. Played many different instruments. Tons of talent between the two!!!!

[ClubViking63]

Brian can´t sing anymore, but it is a thrill just to see him on the stage today.

He could have died 40 years ago really.

[Mozart1220]

@ClubViking63 He sings pretty well for a man his age. 

[3234718]

This is a great, grammatically incorrect song.

[Ratelzwatel]

@3234718 What is grammatically incorrect in 'God Only knows'?

[3234718]

@Ratelzwatel Maybe not grammatically incorrect but it doesn't mean what they intend it to mean. Saying "god only knows where I'd be without you" means that god only knows one thing, and that one bit of knowledge is: where I would be without you. "Only god knows where I'd be without you" would more accurately get this meaning across. Btw there probably aren't any gods, but this is still a good song. Awesome harmony.

[Ratelzwatel]

@3234718 Thanks! Now I see what you mean: "Only god knows". Can it also be "God only, knows"? With a comma? (I'm not English.)

[3234718]

@Ratelzwatel Not really with a comma. English is a silly language.  You seem to be doing fine though as far as I can tell from your typing. Better than most americans anyway.

[Cyallaire]

@Ratelzwatel God only knows... used to be a more common expression here, I think. It's sort of like an idea that trails off. The whole thought was "God only knows what I'd be without you." It would mean the same as "Only god knows..." but it sounds better, more often used to express ideas like "God only knows what's going on here." It's an intensifier to express something unknowable to the mortal man, and in this case, indicating the beloved saved the singer from some sorry fate.

[HughHoyland1]

Wow, amazing! Although this is Brians song, Paul sounds like he could totally make it his own easy, his vocals fit naturaly in it.

[superman11978]

Paul sounds great. Brian's a little shaky. But this wasn't a concert, they just went up to do one song at a gala, so they wouldn't have been warmed up properly.

[hamsterstavros]

GÄNSEHAUT !!

[Pickininvt]

Darn....Freudian slip....I meant Brian Wilson...

[Pickininvt]

If you have any interest in what Brian Love has been through in his life, you should look up the Charlie Rose interview with him on youtube. It's the most beautiful and sincere interview I've ever seen.

[frankrizzo51]

Didn't McCartney also say Pet Sounds was the greatest album of all time?

[slojoe58]

Something like that. The album Pet Sounds knocked The Beatles out of the top 10 in the U.S. and the U.K. The album Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band came about because of this. Sir Paul said this song inspired him to write the song Here, There, and Everywhere.

[thenowuk]

Shame they can't sing anymore-if it was 40 years ago it would have been worth it

[cathytreks]

@thenowuk  Macca can still sing...pity about Wilson though...

[rickpipes]

McCartney himself called this songs - the most brilliant piece of pop music ever written.

[rickpipes]

The music is not the same - the brilliance of hfe Beatles does not mean the Beach Boys were crap. Both groups were great at what they did. Both bands, in my mind, deserve credit for their contribution to the 60's.

[75DrummerBoy]

A Beatle singing a Beach Boys song? Who would have ever thought! Music royalty of the 60's together at last!!!!

[projectpeach262]

gods among men.

[willmurphy1951]

Dream on, darrinbaker00. The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson were and never will be a challenge to The Beatles California girls; Surfing USA, and other such crap., Get real, you idiot.

[ricklindzy]

@willmurphy1951 You "sir", are an asshole.

[willmurphy1951]

@ricklindzy How can you judge me and denounce me as an ''asshole'' based on 1 comment and democratic (That's part of democracy) opinion? Have you known me and mine for the 60 years of my existence? No, you have not. I've forgotten more than you know, you total prick and plank.

[ricklindzy]

@willmurphy1951 Because I can. You beatle worshipers make me sick. Your an asshole willmurphy. Have been for the last 60 years. ASSHOLE!!!

[yankees545454]

Will....ignore him, remember he needs to look in the mirror at least once a week!

[darrinbaker00]

It's only fitting that these two would eventually perform together, because they spent 1966-67 trying to outdo each other. When Brian heard "Rubber Soul, he asked himself, "How can I top THAT?" The answer, of course, was "Pet Sounds." When Paul heard that album, he went back to the other Beatles and asked, How can we top THAT?" The answer, of course, was "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

[iconicshrubbery]

¡--------------(fill space with your amazement)----------------!

God only knows why these two angel-musicians were given to us and are still down here with us,on earth.

Probably got lutes,too,in their arrangements....

[ROCKETMISSILE1234]

The Beatles knew what a force Brian Wilson was!!!

[Edgetunes]

Glad I got to hear this. A once in a lifetime performance. Thanks for posting.

[SamuelIbes]

waaayyyyy to fast

[xdevildoc69]

When Paul starts to sing I got chills running up my spine. Two of the greatest...amazing, simply amaziing.

[LennonForever38]

where did you ge this recording?

[massicotted]

Gives me chills...

Two of my musical heroes singing together. Should've happen WAAAAAAAAYYY earlier than that...

Do you have the actual footage or only the sound?

Thank you very much for that post.

[beans1308]

trust a scouser to fuck up god only knows/nice try paul

[MisterOldSchool1]

wow

[rpm88able]

HOLY what the??!!! This is waaaaay beyond amazing!!

[ridingroy]

Well folks, two of THE 3 genius songwriters of the 20th century the other being Cole Porter...

[Atomicflash500]

off key.

[n8dogg2987]

simply phenomenal! Paul's part on the bridge was awesome as was his overall contribution to the song, just as I had imagined it would sound if it were to have been covered by The Beatles!

[Omegaversal]

My Two favorite Bands.The Beachboys and Beatles!

[Jody07984]

WOW! What a memorable moment! The upper echelon of music, a summit performance of two of the most amazing of them all. Love it!

[Galantski]

Brian and Paul Album...come on guys, make it happen!

[Sage80]

@Galantski that would probably bring about the end of the world.

[mothafuckajones666]

@Galantski

Arranged and produced by Brian Wilson, sung and written by Paul McCartney = The best hypothetical album.

[beaustep19]

@mothafuckajones666 Agreed.

[pabsbigboy]

What a power house of of a dynamic dynamite DUO!

[TheBabyboomkidof53]

you sure can hear the cross influences of the beatles on the beach boys and beach boys on the beatles more then any other groups I know of.

[poussyledzep]

where is the real video of this?

[Okiemom50]

@poussyledzep

I agree. I would love to see the video footage and not just photos. Thank you for posting this, though. :o)